The Inner Journey: Co-creation starts with imagination

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question."
-- Decouvertes
"The man who has no imagination has no wings."
-- Muhammad Ali

Imagination is a tool of the soul. Our imagination gives us the opportunity to 'try on' new qualities and perspectives in our life. Through imagination, we can explore our past, problems, patterns, processes, plans, perceptions, principles, passions and purpose to uncover new possibilities.

Without imagination, we stay stuck in the realm of the material, the past, the superficial and the literal. We remain one-tracked, instinctual and one-dimensional.

Our imagination comes from the soul, subconscious and senses. Only through our imagination can we become multidimensional, experience more love, create more beauty, manifest more results, change our conditions, rewrite the past, and connect with divinity, purpose and others.

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'"
-- George Bernard Shaw
"Reason can answer questions, but imagination has to ask them."
-- Ralph Gerard

The Inner Journey: Don't avoid the void

"When we feel stuck, going nowhere -- even starting to slip backward -- we may actually be backing up to get a running start."
-- Dan Millman

To change, we must go through a transition zone. It's not easy being in transition. Thoughts, beliefs and habits are all in flux. It can create a sense of groundlessness, of being in a void that can be quite uncomfortable.

When we’re in the void, our first impulse will be to revert to old habits because they feel comfortable. Our goal is to hang in there until the change is complete. Knowing that TRANSITIONS ARE PART OF THE CHANGE PROCESS helps us muster the courage to put up with the discomfort, the uneasiness, the void.

Change requires a letting go of what we’ve always known and done to allow in something new. We need to trust ourselves and higher forces to unfold a new reality for us.

"Every positive change - every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness - involves a rite of passage. Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception."
-- Dan Millman

Learn To Benefit From Criticism

Whoever learns from correction is wise.
Proverbs 15:5 NLT

There are two kinds of criticism:

(1) Unjustified criticism.
One day Henry Ward Beecher went to his church to preach. As the great orator placed his Bible on the pulpit he noticed a blank sheet of paper with the word "fool" written on it. Beecher's keen sense of humour seized the moment. He lifted the paper for all to see, then his booming voice filled the church as he announced, "Generally I receive letters from people who write and forget to sign their name. This letter is different. The person has signed his name but forgotten to write the letter." Jesus said, "Offences will come" (Luke 17:1). So expect them. And remember, attack is a sign of respect. You're getting noticed. You're making a difference. So when you are criticised unjustly, forget it and move on. Jesus did!

(2) Justified criticism.
Criticism that's justified has a measure of truth in it. An old Arab proverb states, "If one person calls you a donkey, forget it. But if five people call you a donkey, buy a saddle." Dr. James G. Kerr, a management psychologist, points out that a major deterrent to gaining information about ourselves lies in our natural reluctance to discover anything about ourselves that isn't flattering. When we erect defences against our own inadequacies and try to hide our faults from ourselves and others, we close the door to a vital source of self-knowledge and therefore deny ourselves the joy of Spiritual growth. Stop hiding from the truth. Every one of us can improve what we're doing and the way in which it's being done. As they say, "The largest room in the world - is room for improvement!"

The Inner Journey: Love yourself

"It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others."
-- Sydney J. Harris

"We have the need to be accepted and to be loved by others, but we cannot accept and love ourselves. The more self-love we have, the less we will experience self-abuse. Self-abuse comes from self-rejection, and self-rejection comes from having an image of what it means to be perfect and never measuring up to that ideal. Our image of perfection is the reason we reject ourselves the way we are, and why we don't accept others the way they are."
-- Don Miguel Ruiz

"There is no freedom like seeing myself as I am and not losing heart."
-- Elizabeth J. Canham

"If we could learn to like ourselves, even a little, maybe our cruelties and angers might melt away."
-- John Steinbeck

When You Lose What You Love

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping... They will continue to grow stronger.
Psalm 84:6-7 NLT

When you lose what you love you go through five stages:
(1) Denial - "No, it can't be happening."
(2) Anger - "God, why are You permitting this?"
(3) Bargaining - "Please make it go away."
(4) Depression - Silence and withdrawal.
(5) Acceptance - "Not my will but Yours be done."

Whether it's the loss of a child, a marriage, a job, your health, etc. when you turn to God He'll give you the grace to embrace it, grieve it, express it, release it, and go on to become stronger. Sometimes we seek quick relief by releasing it before we've gone through these stages. That's because we fear the process. We've been taught that any show of emotion is a show of weakness, so we stuff it. But we only stuff it into our emotional rubbish bin, then spend all our time and energy sitting on the lid, trying to keep the contents from spilling out. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). It's knowing and embracing the truth, including its painful aspects, that sets you free. You must be willing to forgive. But until you come to grips with the enormity of your loss, including any injustice of what was done to you, you are not ready to forgive. When you rush to forgive, you forgive only in part and you're released only in part.
Are you running from pain today? Are you trading it in prematurely for some other feeling? That's not God's way. Jesus said, "You will weep and mourn… but [eventually] your grief will turn to joy… and no one will take [it] away" (John 16:20-22 NIV).

The Inner Journey: Seek insights

"The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival."
-- Aristotle

INSIGHTS happen only when we shift to a higher, more inclusive perspective. As we grow in wisdom and experience, we become less attached to the form of reality and more aware of its spiritual side - its qualities, values and meaning. As we get to know ourselves as souls, we begin to let go of the self-consciousness of the ego. This allows us to more effectively include others and work with the whole picture.

When there is more in sight, we get more insights.

Try becoming aware of those times when you focus on differences. At those times, STOP and PAY ATTENTION and IDENTIFY SIMILARITIES INSTEAD. See how all parts fit into a bigger picture. Expand your perspectives. Find common causes, motives and needs. Go to another level of thinking and problem solving. Be open to using more imagination and creativity. Shift your thinking from "either/or" to "both/and" and be prepared for more insights.

"Insight occurs when, and to the degree that, one knows oneself."
-- Andrew Schneider

"We are not what we know. We are what we are willing to learn."
-- Council on Ideas

Anybody Can Do It!

Encourage one another.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

Chuck Swindoll writes: "The ski slopes were in perfect condition. I struck out on my first attempt at skiing with a positive attitude, thinking, 'I'm going to be the first person who learns to ski without falling down.' You've heard of the Elephant Man? On skis, I'm the rhinoceros man. It's doubtful anyone ever came down a ski slope more ways, or landed in more positions, or did more creative things in the air before landing. Working with me that humiliating day was the world's most encouraging ski instructor (yes, I had an instructor!). Never once did she lose her cool, or laugh at me, or say 'You are absolutely impossible. I quit!' That dear, gracious lady helped me up more times than I can number. She repeated the same basics time and again - like she had never said them before. Even though I was colder than an explorer in the Antarctic, irritable, impatient, and under the snow more than I was on it, she kept offering words of reassurance. That day God gave me a never-to-be-forgotten illustration of the value of encouragement. Had it not been for her spirit and her words, believe me, I would have hung 'em up and been back in the condo, warming my feet by the fire in less than an hour. What is true for a novice on the snow once a year is all the more true for people we meet every day. Harassed by demands and deadlines; bruised by worry, adversity and failure; broken by disillusionment and defeated by sin, they live somewhere between dull discouragement and sheer panic. All of us need encouragement, and the beautiful part about encouragement is this: anybody can do it!"

The Inner Journey: Take a break!

"A good rest is half the work."
-- Yugoslav Proverb

Strong work ethic? You can still justify taking a break. In fact, we NEED to take breaks -- regularly and frequently. Why? WE WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WHEN WE DON'T WORK SO MUCH.

Rest periods and vacations break our work routines. They help SHIFT OUR THINKING from its habitual, stuck patterns. They create the SPACE FOR ENERGY AND CREATIVITY to flow. They give us TIME FOR REFLECTION, so we can step back and look at what's happening in our lives with greater detachment. We become more sensitive and aware.

And finally, we are stronger when we BALANCE DOING with BEING. All work and no play throws our life out of balance and endangers our health. Our bodies and minds need sufficient
rest for recuperation. This is critically important with the level of stress in our lives these days.

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."
-- Sidney J. Harris

"I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best. My health is the main capital I have and I want to administer it intelligently."
-- Ernest Hemingway

The Importance Of Relationships

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17 NIV

Solid relationships keep us grounded and accountable. If we start to get off course they help keep us on track. So who are the significant people in your life, the ones you spend the most time with, the ones whose opinions really matter to you? These people are your greatest influencers.

The question is, how are they influencing you? To know the answer, ask yourself the following questions: (1) What does he/she bring out of me? Author William Alan Ward remarked, "A true friend knows your weaknesses, but shows you your strengths. Feels your fears, but fortifies your faith. Sees your anxieties, but frees your spirit. Recognises your disabilities, but emphasises your possibilities." (2) What does he/she think of me? People tend to become what the most important person in their lives believes they can be. Indeed, that's what our children grow up to be! We embrace the opinions of those we respect. (3) What does he/she think of my future? Paul tells Timothy, "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young" (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT). Do the most important people in your life understand God's plan for you? Do they help or hinder you? (4) How does he/she behave toward me in difficult times? The solid relationships in your life are those who are slow to suspect, but quick to trust. Slow to condemn, but quick to justify. Slow to offend, but quick to defend. Slow to expose, but quick to shield. Slow to reprimand, but quick to forbear. Slow to belittle, but quick to appreciate. Slow to demand, but quick to give. Slow to provoke, but quick to help. Slow to resent, but quick to forgive.

The Inner Journey: Love your shadows

"There is that part of ourselves that feels ugly, deformed, unacceptable. That part, above all, we must learn to cherish, embrace, and call by name."
-- Macrina Wiederkehr

Each of us has characteristics we define as ‘good’ and those we define as ‘bad.’ The parts of ourselves that we continually reject want to be acknowledged and loved. Until we honour these aspects, they will continue to assert themselves. They will do whatever they can to get our attention.

What aspects of yourself do you reject?

Take a few moments to open to the parts of yourself that you do not love. See each one honestly for what it is. Explore the wounds and the motives that gave rise to its condition. Love a wounded part of yourself and it will heal.

"...self-contempt never inspires lasting change."
-- Jane R. Hirschmann and Carol H. Munter

"The first step toward change is acceptance. Once you accept yourself, you open the door to change. That's all you have to do. Change is not something you do, it's something you allow."
-- Will Garcia

Make Your Money - His Servant!

Whoever loves money never has money enough.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV

If your goal is to prosper in order to fulfil God's purposes, God will bless you. If it's just to be rich, you're on your own!

Notice: (1) Money will buy people, but not true friends. Christina Onassis, one of the richest women in the world, had to hire someone to play tennis with her and go to supper with her. She had so much money she couldn't spend it all, yet she lived an empty, lonely life. Yes, money will buy people, but not true friends. They'll be takers but not givers, and as soon as your money is gone they will be too. (2) Money will buy books, but not brains. In his book The Seven Secrets, John Hagee writes: "A beautiful prayer tower was erected in the centre of Trinity University. Every day the chimes echoed across the campus. But that prayer tower had to be locked with an iron gate. Why? Because some students who could not achieve the academic dreams of their wealthy fathers climbed the stairs of the prayer tower to leap to their deaths." Yes, money will buy books, but not brains. (3) Money will buy food, but not a healthy appetite. Ever thought of an empty plate as beautiful? An empty plate becomes beautiful when you have a sick loved one with a deadly disease. You prepare the finest foods only to watch them push it away, nauseated by the sight. Next time you see a dirty plate on your table, thank God for the food He has given you and the appetite to want it. Money can't buy that.

Bottom line: make Jesus Lord of your life, and make your money - His servant!

Testifying Without A Touch

Blessed are those who believe without seeing.
John 20:29 NLT

Asking for proof before you believe something can stop you from receiving what God wants you to accept based on His Word. Thomas watched Jesus die. That's hard evidence to refute. As a result Thomas decided to believe only what he could see and verify. When your faith's been shaken, you're inclined to cling to things that are practical, absolute and tangible. Jesus graciously gave Thomas the proof he needed, and said, "You believe because you have seen… Blessed are those who believe without seeing." The fact remains, however, that if Thomas hadn't been permitted to see and touch Jesus it wouldn't have changed the reality of the resurrection one iota. Thomas' problem wasn't lack of faith, it was misdirected faith. He trusted only what he could process on a human level. Sound familiar?

By contrast, when Mary Magdalene met Jesus at the tomb He told her, "Don't touch Me… But go find My brothers and tell them" (John 20:17 TLB). Mary once washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair; touch was important to her. And touching Jesus at that moment would have confirmed what she'd seen and heard. This time, however, Jesus asked her to trust His Word and not His flesh; to be willing to testify without a touch.
Sometimes we feel "the touch of God" calming us, strengthening us and reassuring us that He is still in control. The truth is, His touch has often kept us from giving up or going over the edge. But sometimes He asks us to trust Him without the crutch of sensory perception. That's faith at its highest level.